Volunteers to plant 15,000 trees in Redbridge this weekend

30 tree planting events are taking place across the capital this weekend with Redbridge set to host the biggest with over 500 volunteers aiming to plant 15,000 trees.

Leader of the Council, Jas Athwal and The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan will be at Forest Road Recreation Ground tomorrow to see the space transform into a community woodland.

The project, which is in partnership with Trees for Cities and Vision is funded by the council through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Local Project Fund and the Mayor of London’s Greater London Authority Woodland Fund.

Cllr Athwal said: “We have fantastic opens spaces and parks in the borough and we are committed to looking at ways to protect and enhance these areas. I’m delighted to work in partnership with Trees for Cities and for the support of the Mayor of London to plant thousands of trees across the borough. It’s great that so many people are getting involved in this important project, which will have both a positive impact on the local environment and provide lasting benefits to the people who live and work in Redbridge.”

The event is part of London’s biggest ever mass tree-planting weekend, where a record 80,000 new trees will be planted in London by 15,000 Londoners funded by the Mayor.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “My Greener City Fund is investing £12m in trees and green spaces to help London reach the goal of being confirmed as the world’s first National Park City next summer and expanding the capital’s impressive ‘urban forest’ of eight million trees.

“This initiative is really capturing the imagination and it is fantastic to know that there will be so many Londoners out in force this week planting trees across the city.”

Already the council, Vision and Trees for Cities have delivered community planting projects at Loxford Park and Seven Kings Park and placed an edible playground in Snaresbrook Primary School which transformed the playground into a vibrant outdoor learning space, getting children excited about plants and eating healthy food.

The projects are part of a three year programme with more community planting events taking place next year.